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August 21, 2007
HPD OK’s Seizure of Duffield St. Homes
In a blow to preservationists, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development ruled yesterday that the city should use eminent domain to seize the Duffield Street homes believed to be associated with the Underground Railroad. The EDC has long intended to knock down the homes in order to build a public parking lot for a hotel in Downtown Brooklyn. The news comes about a week after the city announced it was setting up a $2 million panel charged with devising a plan to honor Brooklyn’s role in the abolitionist movement. Although the announcement of the panel’s formation fanned some hope that the city would consider studying the homes’ historical value and, perhaps, end up preserving the structures, it now looks likely that the move was simply an attempt to put a pretty PR face on the inevitable destruction of the properties. Even though this is not necessarily the final nail in the coffin of the Duffield Street homes, it does seem to signal the last chapter in what has been a sad story of the city’s unwillingness to carefully examine claims of the houses’ role in the abolitionist movement.
City Gets Go-Ahead To Seize Duffield Homes [Brooklyn Eagle]
Oh, Those Keystone Condemners [Duffield St. Underground]
Goodbye Duffield Street Underground RR Homes [McBrooklyn]
Seizures Coming for Underground Railroad Buildings [Gowanus Lounge]
Abolition Panel a Salve for Duffield Street Concerns? [Brownstoner]
Duffield Preservationists Fight Back with Lawsuit [Brownstoner]
LPC Turns Its Back on Underground Railroad Houses [Brownstoner]
Undergound RR: Consultants Caught In Another Lie [Brownstoner]
LPC Head Tries To Save Underground RR Site [Brownstoner]
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Comments
The Underground Railroad bit seems a little dubious to me, but either way this is a totally inappropriate use of eminent domain. Duffield Street and the surrounding area is the only human-scale place left in Downtown Brooklyn. It ought to be a damn historic district just for how out of the ordinary it is compared to the eight-lane avenues and anonymous glass towers on all sides.
Posted by: Zach at August 21, 2007 9:16 AM
Why doesn't the city or someone move the buildings somewhere else, this way everyone wins! It seems to be done in other cities. This way the buildings are not destroyed. Hey Mr. B, why don't do you look into that option and comment on it. It would be a good option with other buildings as well.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 9:28 AM
eminent domain for a hotel parking lot! WOW!!!
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 9:30 AM
No one ever seems to mention that they're going to put a park there, too... or that the parking lot will be underground.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 9:37 AM
Even if the Duffield sites relevance to the Underground Railroad is of no consequence to us, we should be scared that eminent domain is being used once again to seize property albeit with compensation, for the use of a private developer. The parking lot will enhance the value of the developers property way more than the park will benefit the community. Neighborhood kids from the projects will probably not frequent the park because they'll assume that it is part of the hotels property and /or they'll be harassed by the authorities when using the park.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 10:15 AM
1. The parking garage -- it is not a lot -- is for all of the buildings that will surround it. I know, "hotel parking lot" has a nice indefensible ring to it but it is a false characterization. Familiarize yourself with the Downtown Brooklyn Plan before indulging in generalities.
2. Let's agree (for the sake of argument) that the buildings were used as part of the Underground Railroad. If there is little or no physical evidence of that, what is the purpose of preserving the buildings, either are on their current site or moved elsewhere? The buildings become nothing more than memorials, in which case another memorial could suffice.
3. HPD sends its notices to the parties of record for the real estate taxes. HPD is incompetent because a property owner has not updated that information?
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 10:20 AM
It would be of vital interest for historians and preservationists if a credible study of the use of the house(s)revealed WHY this location as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Was it the actual location, via a vis local roads, escape routes, etc, or was it because of the convictions of the owners(s)? This is important because if the actual location had a great deal to do with the house's use, then moving the house defeats the purpose - although thanks for thinking of an alternative solution, 9:28. Would, for example, the Tenement Museum on Orchard St. be a viable representation of immigrant life on the Lower East Side, if the house had been moved to another part of town?
I am disappointed, though not surprised, that it turned out this way. Someday our history will only be visible on brass placques.
The use of eminent domain is both inappropriate and frightening. This is another clear signal that whenever a private developer can't get their way, they will be able to pull out ED, and the problem is solved. No private property owner is safe. It may only be downtown and commercial areas that are being developed now, but these precidents will make it much harder to fight ED in the courts when developers turn a beady eye to more residential areas.
Posted by: Brower Park at August 21, 2007 11:31 AM
The post above is not mine, even though I'm sympathetic to some of the claims made. It is a forgery.
Posted by: Brower Park at August 21, 2007 11:48 AM
We know it wasn't you, BP. The troll isn't fooling anyone.
Posted by: donatella at August 21, 2007 11:59 AM
I like this new system. A reader has only to click on the registered name, and all of the posts that person has made appear.
If you click on my name, you see all of my many posts on various topics, all in my usual avuncular and verbiaged manner. ;)
If you click on (space)Brower(space)Park's name, you see all of his denials that my genuine posts are, well, "mine".
Hmmmmm, who would I believe?
'Nuf said.
Posted by: Brower Park at August 21, 2007 12:00 PM
Well Mr. Troll, some of us have lives, you see. I've been too busy to post for quite some time, though I do continue to read and to be amused by your feeble attempts at impersonation. Boy, you need a lot of practice. Seriously.
Posted by: Brower Park at August 21, 2007 12:26 PM
I looked at the collections of posts of both of these posters, and I can't tell which of them is the biggest asshole.
To whichever one of you is the 'original': Posting as a guest would solve this problem. I have no sympathy at all and am tired of hearing you whine about your precious screen name.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 12:42 PM
Some background for 11:31, who asks "Was it the actual location, via a vis local roads, escape routes, etc, or was it because of the convictions of the owners(s)? This is important because if the actual location had a great deal to do with the house's use, then moving the house defeats the purpose."
Downtown Brooklyn used to have many Abolitionist churches. There were Quakers, and some churches split along racial lines, which may be related to the very high number of African-Americans in Kings County. It is my understanding that escaped slaves got to Weeksville, and the best way to get to boats was basically west down Atlantic Avenue and then down Bridge Street, which was a wooden bridge to Wallabout Bay that started near the Duffield Street homes.
Here's a map with all the churches:
http://gowanuslounge.blogspot.com/2007/05/duffield-st-underground-railroad-houses.html
There are many other interesting connections, including Walt Whitman, who lived a few blocks from the Duffield Street homes. He wrote about an escaped slave coming to his house in Leaves of Grass.
Posted by: raulism at August 21, 2007 12:54 PM
Be that as it may, 12:42, calling people "assholes" certainly doesn't make you shine any brighter.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 1:26 PM
The City has declared this area to have abolitionist activity. Apparently, there is some credibility to the Underground Railroad Claims.
The owners of these buildings could walk away with millions right now and buy new places in Manhattan. The evidence that they have seen must strongly suggest to them that they are responsible for preserving history.
It's remarkable how the city is planning to use eminent domain to seize property in Brooklyn in this day and age. Surely, the city planners can use their brains and make a better solution for all.
Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 3:14 PM
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